Roof bars - fitting advice.

[FR_Simon]

Hi All,

Have got some Thule roof bars for the motor to carry mountain bikes easily. Anyway, was wondering from the people out there with bars fitted...

- Have you got the front clamp infront or behind the factory 'bolt/mounting hole' inside the front door arches? The Thule 1266 adaptor kit I'm using is for my Ibiza but doesnt use this to bolt into.

- How tight have you got the mounting feet clamped to the bodywork - am worried about denting the bodywork?

(Am using the Thule 1266 fitting kit with the 750 foot pack and aerobars)


Thanks,

Simon

 

[Lippo]

Hi,

I haven't got Thule bars, but I do have roof bars which I use once every couple of years. They seem straight forward to fit - you line up the bolt with the hole in the roof and tighten. I did them pretty tight, but not so that they were 'strained'. The roof doesn't get bent in or crumpled. I give them a good firm shake. As long as the bar doesn't move too far forwards and backwards, it's ok.

Sorry I can't be more prescriptive. Just don't scrape the bar and mount across the roof like I did.

 

[FR_Simon]

Lippo, what make are your bars/mounts?


I had expected the kit I got was going to use the bolt hole but doesn't, would be more secure with no chance of lateral movement!

I assume the bodywork is pretty tough around the roof edges seeing as its structural.

 

[Lippo]

Well, I've just checked my bars and they don't use the hole either!! They 'clamp' on to the lip in the roof. I must have got mixed up with the wifes' car which does use the holes.

Sorry for the confusion, and I think they're geniune Seat roof bars. I've used them once or twice and seemed quite secure.

 

[FR_Simon]

No worries, cheers for the reply.

 

[ss55eat]

I've got the Seat factory roof bars (3 door version - the 5 door bars are different). The front bars have a small pin in the clamp which locates in the hole inside the door opening. The position of the pin is offset on the clamp; If I remember correctly it ends up with the clamp over the hole with about 25% of the clamp in front and 75% behind. On the factory ones the clamps are shaped to exactly match the profile of the roof line at the mounting point. On the back there are a couple of arrows marked in the window glass to show where the clamps fit; no pin on the back ones. The factory clamps come with a spring loaded socket thing to do them up to the correct torque, but it's not particularly tight. I think you would struggle to dent the bodywork by doing them up too tight (on the factory ones anyway). The rubber mounting pads are quite wide so they are suprisingly solid even without doing them up too much. I would just fit them and give them a rock to see if they are solid.

 

[ss55eat]

Correction to my previous post: I checked the bars and the pin is about 1cm in from the back of the clamp on the front bars. That is, the clamp sits over the mounting hole with the majority of it towards the front of the car. Hope that makes sense!